Compressed air and gas locomotive-engine



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1..

D. S.- TROY.

COMPRESSED AIR AND GAS LOOOMOTIVE ENGINE.

Patented May 2, 1885.

WITNESSES MMW? N. PETERS, Photo-Lithograph, Wahington, D. C.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. S. TROY.

COMPRESSED AIR AND GAS LOOOMOTIVE ENGINE. No. 317,891.

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Ratented Ma WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

n PETERS. Phowlflhognpher, Washinglun, 0.0

(No Model.) 6 SheetsSheet 3.

D. S, TROY.

COMPRESSED AIR AND GAS LOGOMOTIVE ENGINE.

No. 317,891. Patented May 12, 1885.

F El 2. 9 6 L- g ,1 I 2 1 a El) Kaua 9 U E WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

N, PEYERS. Photo-Lithographer. Wnshlngton. n. c

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

D. S. TROY.

COMPRESSED AIR AND GAS LOCOMOTIVE'ENGINE.

No. 317,891. Patented-Ma 12, 1885.

WITNESSES INVENTOR: m

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phfllmljhngnpher. Wanhingion, 0.6.

6 SheetsSheet 5.

(No Model.)

Patented May'lZ, 1885.

INVENTORI x015 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-$heet 6.

D S. TROY. v

COMPRESSED AIR AND GAS LOOOMOTIVE ENGINE. No. 317,891. Patented May 12, 1885.

3 a J x I I I T 543 DTVENTOR:

r w WITNESSES J y ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, Photo-Limn mphur, Wishingmn, D/C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL S. TROY, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

COMPRESSED AIR AND GAS LOCOMOTlVE-ENGINE.

.JPEJCIFEGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,891, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed July 19, 1884. (X0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, DANIEL S. Tnov, of.

Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Compressed Air and Gas Locomotive-Engine, of which the following is a a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved locomotive-engine in which compressed air and compressed gas are used as the motive power.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying; drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of my improved compressed air and gas locomotiveengine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail longitudinal elevation, parts being removed and others shown in section. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same through the cylinders. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation through the cab. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal elevation of the domes through the cab. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation of the slidevalves. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional elevation of apressure-regu' l lating valve.

A locomotive is provided with the usual driving-wheels, A, connected bya connectingbar, A, which is connected by a connecting- I compartments, 0 and C of which the former is very much larger than the latter, the latter compartment occupying the upper part of the vessel 0, as is shown in Fig. 8.

At the inner end of the lower compartment, 0, which is to contain the compressed air, an upright dome, D, is formed, which is located .part of the tank or vessel.

within the cab D on the rear end of the locomotive.

On the rear end of the compartment (J a dome, D, is formed, which projects from the top of the dome D.

On the front end of the vessel 0 a stack, E. is provided, into which channels E, formed on each side of the front part of the vessel 0, conduct the exhaust gases which are conducted into the channels E from the valves above the cylinders by the channels E arranged in the saddle or support of the front By the explosion of the mixture of gas and air at opposite ends of the cylinder and opposite sides of the piston,the piston and piston-rod are reciprocated, and operate the connecting-rods A" and A and revolve the driving-wheels.

Compressed gas is conducted by the pipes F to valvebox I, above the {cylinder 13, and

the compressed air is conducted by the pipes G to the said valve-boxes. Each valve-box I is divided by a partition, 1, into two cylindrical compartments, a and a, the outer ends of which are closed by suitable stuffing-boxcs. The compressed air is conducted through the pipe G into the cylindrical compartment a, and the compressed gas is conducted by the pipe F into the cylindrical compartment a.

Directly below the pipes F and G, channels I) and I) extend from the compartments a and a to the opposite ends of a cylindrical compartment or chamber, (Z, formed in the valvebox I, from which compartment cl channels 0 and e extend to the opposite ends of the cylinder.

Between the channels a and e the exhaustchannel f is provided, which is connected by suitable channels with the corresponding exhaust-channel E in the saddle.

The channels I) b are provided at their lower ends with automatically-closing cheek-valves g and g, which permit the compressed gas to pass into the chamber (1, but not out of the same.

The piston-rod I-I passes through a stuffingboX in the outer end of the chamber a and a stuffing-box in the partition 1. On the rod H a cylindrical valve, h, is mounted, which is adapted to close the air-inlet pipe G and the channel I). The rod H is provided wit-h an offset, H and the part H of the rod extending from, the offset to the end of the rod is thinner than the remainder of the rod H. On the said part H is loosely mounted a eylindrical valve, h, adapted to close the pipe F and the channel b. To the hub of the said valve are pivoted a series of angular clutchlevers, If, provided with jaws surrounding the rod H, and adapted to catch on the same. Springs H interposed between the clutchlevers if and the body of the valve, press the jaws of the clutch against therod H.

In front of the springs pins h project from the arms of the clutch-levers, and are adapted to strike against a transverse partition, h in the channel a, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the compartment (1 a cylindrical valve, J, is arranged, which is connected with a rod, J. The cylindrical valve J is open at both ends, and is provided at its ends with grooved flanges for receiving the packing, the diameter of the valve J being greater at the ends than at the middle. The rod J has its outer end pivoted to one end of a rocking lever, J pivoted on a standard, J, in the frame of the locomotive. The lower end of the lever J is pivoted to a bar, J adapted to slide horizontally and longitudinally on the frame of the locomotive, and having its ends bent down to form heads 7', against which the ends of the crosshead B can strike, thereby reciprocating the said bar J, and thus reciprocating the rod J and the valve J.

On the standard J a lever, i, is pivoted, the'lower end of which is provided with a T- h'ead, t", at each end of which a pin, i'fiis provided,which pins are at opposite sides of the short lever J A connecting-rod, 1', extends from the upper end of the lever to a suitable handle-lever in the cab.

The rod H is suitably guided and has its outer end pivoted to the upper end of a vertical rocking lever, K, pivoted .on the locomotive-frame. The lever K is connected by a connecting-link, K, wit-h a shorter lever, K, also pivoted on the frame of the locomotive in such a manner that it will always be parallel with the lever K.

. On the axle B on which the front .pair of driving-wheels A is mounted, a canrdisk, L, is mounted, which is provided with anirregular cam-track, L, into which a pin, Z, projects from a bar, M, adapted to reciprocate in the horizontal plane and in the direction from the front tothe rear of the locomotive, which bar M is provided at the end opposite the one provided with the cam-pin with an upwardlyprojecting arm, M, in which twolongitudinal slots, M and M, are formed at different elevations and a short distance from each other in the direction of the length of the locomotiv'e. In the slots M M sliding-pins m m ar held, which are connected by rods a n with elbow-levers 0 0, pivoted on uprightsn" of thelocomotive-frame;

From the elbowlevers 0" and 0 connecting-rods p and extend to the cab and are connected with suitable handle-levers.

A strong spiral spring, N surrounding the rod H, is held between the guide-standard N of the locomotive-frame and the block N ,held on the rod H, and provided with a contactscrew, 0, which is connected by a wire, 0, with an electrical device, P, for producing sparks, and held in the head of the cylinder.

In the opposite head of the cylinder a like device, 1?, is located, which is connected by a wire, O fwith an induction-coil, O, which is connected by a wire, 0, with a contactpiece,-O", on one of the standards a ofthe locomotive-frame. Y

The two electrical igniting devices P and P are connected with each other by a wire, I. The induction-coil O is held in some suitable manner on the frame of the locomotive.

The pipes F and G are provided with the throttle-valves F and G, respectively, by means of which the pipes F and G leading to the two cylinders can be fully controlled. The domes D and D are provided with pressuregages F" and G, and the pipes F and G are each provided with an automatic pressure regulating valve, which I will now describe.

From the dome a curved pipe, Q, extends down to the pipe For G, and in the said pipe Q a vertically-movable poppet-valve, Q, is arranged, the stem Q of which is pivoted to a lever, R, pivoted on the dome and projecting from the same, on which lever R a sliding weight, R, is held, which is provided with an annular groove, into which the forked end of an arm, S, passes, which arm S projects downward from a threaded spindle, S, on the inner end of which a piston, S is formed, which is contained in a cylinder, T, projecting from the dome and having its inner end in communica tion with the dome. The outer end-of the cylinder is closed by a suitable stuffing-box, T, through which the spindle S passes. A powerful spiral spring, V, surrounds the spindleS between a cross-piece, V, through which the spindle passes, and a nut, V screwed on the said spindle. By means of the said nut the pressure of the spring can be increased or decreased, as may be desired. Near the outer end of the c'ylinderTan upwardly-projecting pipe, U, is formed.

The operation of this valve is as follows:

When the pressure in the dome or vessel is very great, the compressed air or gas acting on the piston S presses the same toward the outer end of the cylinder T, moving the spindle S and the arm Sin the same direction, whereby the sliding weight R on the pivoted lever R is moved toward the free end of the same and has a greater leverage in acting on the valve Q, which is closed more or less. As the press ure on the piston S increases, the weight R is moved outward and thepressure on the valve Q increases and it is closed. Vhen the pressnrein the vessel deereases,the spring V presses IIO in the direction of the arrow 9/, Fig. 6.

the piston S inwar(lthat is, toward the vessel or domethus causing the arm S to move the weight R inward, whereby the lever B is deprived of part of its weight, thus permitting the pressure of the gas that passes from the vessel through the pipe Q, to lift the valve Q, so as to allow a greater quantity of gas or air to pass from the vessel or tank through the pipe Q into the pipes F or G.

By means of the above-described device the quantity of compressed air or compressed gas admitted into the cylinders is regulated automatically-that is, if the pressure of the gas or air is very great a small quantity is admitted into the cylinders, and if the pressure is low a correspondingly larger quantity of compressed air or gas is admitted into the cylinders. The above-described valve also acts as a safetyvalve, for when the pressure in the vessel is so great as to push the piston S beyond the lower end of the pipe U, the lower end of the pipe U is opened and the compressed air or gas can escape through the said pipe.

The operation of the engine is as follows: The engine is shown as moving backwardthat is, in the direction of the arrow 9:, Fig. land is at the half-strok e, the piston moving The valve J is reciprocated by the cross-head B, which alternately strikes the heads j on the ends of the reciprocating rod J If the engine is to be reversed,the position of the slidevalve J must be reversed. To accomplish this the lever t is rocked, thus causing one of the pins i, formed on the cross-head of the lever z, to strike the lever J, and thus throw the upper end of the same toward the front or the rear. The lever i is then brought back to its normal position. The lever i is only the adjustinglever for the purpose of adjusting the mixture exploded. .gine can be so adjusted that the explosive slide-valve J in the proper position. The compressed air and compressed gas are admitted through the pipes G and F, are mixed in the chamber d, and then pass into the cylinders at the ends. As the said mixture of compressed air and gas expands,it drives the piston forward until the mixture has become fully expanded, when the circuit is closed and the The mechanism ofthe enmixture of air and gas is exploded after it has driven the piston half the length of the cylinder by the expansion, or only one-third the length of the cylinder, or a greater orless distance, as maybe desired. The valve-rod H is connected with the lever K, and the said lever K.

be fully regulated.

locomotive moves backward. The upper end "of the lever K is moved toward the front very rapidly, thus causing the valves 7t h to be moved toward the front very rapidly and close slowly, whereby a certain quantity of com-,

pressed gas and air is admitted from the pipes F Ginto the chamber (1. The spring N, which has been compressed by the movement of the rod H in the direction toward the front, moves the rod H toward the rear, and thereby brings the contact-pieces O and 0' in contact, thus closing the circuit and prodlucing the sparks in the igniting devices in the cylinders, whereby the gas is exploded. When the 10- comotive moves forward and the cam L moves the bar M in the direction toward the front end of the locomotive, the pin m in the arm M acts on the lever K and by means of the link K the movement is transmitted to the lever K, which acts on the rod H and the valves on the same. \Vhen the locomotive is moved forward,the pin on" acts on the lever K thereby shifting the valves, and when the locomotive moves backward the pin m acts on the If the pins m or m are held in the lower ends of their respective slots, the said pins will immediately act on the levers K or K as soon as the arm M is shifted either forward or backward; but when the said pins m or in" are moved to the middle or one-third of the height of their respective slots they do not immediately act upon the levers K and K but only begin to act after one-third or one half of the stroke is completed, thus permitting the compressed air and gas to expand be fore being exploded. pins m m and the levers K and K that the expansion of the compressed air and gas can That pin on or m that is not in use must be at the lower end of its corresponding slot, so as to be out of the way and not interfere with parts of the machinery.

As the cam L consists of two like halves, it is evident that all the movements described above will he made twice for each revolution I of the cam; or, in other words, compressed gas and air are admittedinto the cylinder at each end for each stroke, and the said mixture of compressed air and compressed gas is exploded eitherinimediately after having been admitted into the cylinder or after the piston has made one-third or. one-halfthe stroke under expansion of the said gases.

\Vhen the shaft I'I moves in the direction Fig. 6, it moves the valve h with it, thus permitting the compressed air to pass from the pipe G into the chamber (1, but as the valve h is mounted loosely 011 the rod H the said valve h is not shifted by the movement of the IOO It is by means of the] ITO IIS

rod H in the direction of the arrow 3 The a ately moves backward or in the inverse direction of the arrow y. The springs H press the clutches of the levers h" on the rod H, whereby the valve his pulled in the inverse direction of the arrow 3/ and closes the lower end of the pipe F and the upper end of the channel b. When the pins h strike against the partition h, they compress the springs H thereby disengaging the clutching devices of the valve h from the shaft H, and permitting the shaft H to be moved in the inverse direction of the ar row y until the shoulder H is at or near the partition I.

As the valve h must travel with the shaft H, on which it is mounted, the distance from the shoulder H to the clutch-jaws of the "alveh, it is evident that the pipe G and the channel I) are open a much longer time than the pipe]? and the channel I). That is necessary, as more air than gas is required in the mixture. It is necessary that the valve of the air'pipe should remain open from three to four times as long as the valve'of the gaspipe. The shaft H H moves in the direction of the arrow y rapidly on account of the peculiar formation of the cam, but moves very slowly in the inverse direction of the arrow y, to close the pipes F and G.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. The combination, with a locomotiveframe, of the air-vessel C, mounted longitudinally thereonin place of the usual boiler, and divided into two compartments, G and G, for compressed air and gas, a stack, E, at the front end of vessel 0, channels E, formed on oppo site sides of the vessel 0, and leading to the stack and the exhaust-channels *1", leading from the piston-cylinders to the passages E, substantially as set forth.

2. In alocomotive-enginc, the combination, with a receptacle for gas and a receptacle for air, of cylinders, slide-valves for opening and closing at suitable intervals the pipes through which the gas and air pass, a mixing-chamber, into which the gas and air pass, and a hollow slide-valve in the said mixing-chamber, substantially as herein shown and described.

In a locomotive-engine, the combination, with a receptacle for air and a receptacle for gas, of a cylinder in which the gas and air can be exploded, slide-valves for alternately opening and closing the pipes for conducting the air and gas to the cylinder, a chamber in which the gas and air are mixed, check-valves for preventing the mixture of air and gas from passing out of the explosion-chamber back into the pipes connected with the tanks or vessels, and a hollow slide-valve in the explosionchamber, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. In a locomotive-engine, the combination,

with a receptacle for air and a receptacle for gas, of a cylinder in which the mixtures of air and gas can be exploded, separate pipes for conducting gas and air to the cylinder, the rod H, provided with a shoulder, H and a thinner part, H, the valve h, mounted rigidly on the rod H, and the valve h, mounted loosely on the part H and provided with clutching devices, whereby the valve It will remain open a longer time than the valveh, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a locomotive-engine, the combination, with a vessel or tank for containing gas and a vessel or tank for containing air, of a cylinder, the pipes G F, connecting the above-mentioned vessels or tanks with the cylinder, the rod H, the valve h, mounted rigidly on the same and adapted to close the pipe G, the valve h, mounted loosely on the rod H and adapted to close the pipe F, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. 'In a locomotive-engine, the combination, with a tank or vessel for air and a tank or vessel for gas, of a cylinder in which the mixture of gas and air can be exploded, slide-valves for admitting gas and air into a mixing-chamber, and a slide-valve which is operated by a cam on the driving-shaft, and a slide-valve for admitting the mixture of gas and air into the cylinder, which slide-valve is operated from the cross-head, substantially as herein shown and described.

7. In alocomotive-engine, the combination, with atank or vessel for air and a tank or vessel for gas, of a cylinder in which the mixture of gas and air can be exploded, a slidevalve for admitting the gas and air into a mixing-chamber, and a slide-valve for admitting the mixture of gas and air into the cylinder, devices for operating the latter slide-valve from the cross-head, and of apivoted T-lever for reversing the slide-valve for admitting the mixture of gas and air into the cylinder, substantially as herein shown and described.

In a locomotive-engine, the combination, with a tank or vessel for air and a tank or vessel for gas, of a cylinder in which the mixture of gas and air can be exploded, a slide-valve for admitting the gas andair into the cylinder, an electric spark-producing device, an

electric circuit connecting the said spark-producing device with the operating-rod of the slide-valve, and of devices for adjusting the slide-valve rod in such amanner that the spark is produced a greater or less time after the mixture of explosive gas has been admitted into the cylinder, substantially as herein show and described.

DANIEL S. TROY. Witnesses:

JAMES J ACKSON, ALEX. TROY.- 

